| Get Started |
| Sketching, Guides, and Shapes |
| Contour Line of Your Hand |
| Contour Line of a Shoe |
| Contour Line of a Chair |
| Still Life |
| Sketch a Single Object with Detail |
| Sketch a Moving Figure |
| Draw a Cube |
| Draw a Cylinder |
| Draw a Sphere |
| Draw a Cone |
| Draw a Pyramid |
| Draw a Castle |
| Proportions, Space, and Composition |
| Create an Illusion of Space |
| Draw a Landscape |
| Draw a Portrait in Proportion |
| The Human Figure in Proportion |
| Symmetrical Composition with Abstract Shapes |
| An Asymmetrical Still Life |
| One-Point Perspective |
| Two-Point Perspective |
| Draw Your Living Room in One-Point Perspective |
| A City in Two-Point Perspective |
| Shading Value Scale |
| Shading a Sphere |
| Hatching and Crosshatching Value Scale |
| Draw a Cylinder Using Hatching and Crosshatching |
| Draw an Eye with Shading and Light |
| Draw a Vase Using Hatching and Crosshatching |
| Actual vs. Implied Texture |
| Soft Texture |
| Rough Texture |
| Details with Pattern |
| Draw Details from Nature |
| Draw a Self-Portrait |
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1.
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Trace along the edges of your hand lightly with your pencil. This creates a simple contour line drawing. |
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2.
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Now place one hand down on a flat surface and draw what you observe, without tracing. Pay close attention to the proportions of each finger. |
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3.
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Add interior lines to represent your fingernails and the creases in your knuckles and joints. |
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1.
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Begin by focusing on the exterior edges of your shoe. Pay attention to the shoe from end to end. Proportion is how each part of an object compares to one another in size. Make sure that the shoe is not too long compared to how tall you have sketched it. |
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2.
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Draw the interior edges of the shoe: the toe cap, the midsole, the tongue, etc. Don’t focus on details yet. Focus on the shape of things, like the curve of the toe. Capture those things first. |
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3.
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Draw the design details of the shoe: the logo, patterns, eyelets, etc. Remember, an artist sees shape first. Think about what shapes you see and place them relative to each other. |
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1.
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Sketch guidelines across the paper to help you draw the chair in proportion. |
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2.
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Draw the negative space inside and around the chair first. Negative space is the area in your drawing that does not include a subject. In this exercise, the chair is the positive space in your drawing. Where you can see through parts of your chair, such as between the armrest and seat, that is negative space. By focusing on the negative as well as the positive space, you can help improve your drawing technique! |
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3.
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Use the negative space drawing to help you draw the chair. Look at the areas in between, underneath, and around your chair. What shapes do you see? As you draw the negative space, or the space around your subject, your positive subject will start to appear. |
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1.
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Begin sketching loose marks to quickly block in basic shapes. The example shown with this step is not focused on the subject itself; it’s focused on capturing the shapes that make up the subject. As always, remember to make light marks so you can erase them later as needed. |
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2.
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After two minutes have passed, see how much you were able to produce on paper. Remember, it’s not about perfection. Pay attention to size and shape relationships. Does one object look too big, or out of proportion? Make corrections as needed with your eraser. |
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3.
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Practice sketches for longer durations. Set a timer for a five-minute sketch, a ten-minute sketch, and so on. By gradually allowing yourself more time, you will improve your ability to observe and draw your subject. |
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1.
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Sketch the shapes you see, using the guidelines for reference. |
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2.
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Make loose marks to communicate any details you notice about the subject. What patterns do you see? Does it have a label with lettering or symbols? Try to look closely and draw what you see. |
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3.
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Refine your loose sketch marks and erase the guidelines and any mistakes. Add a table or background, if you like. |
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1.
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Sketch a few shapes and guidelines to reflect the proportions and pose of your figure. You can start with a basic stick figure, but try to pose it in a motion or action stance. Imagine the stick figure running, stretching, or throwing. This will make your gesture drawing more interesting. You can take a look in the mirror at one of your own gestures or ask a friend to pose for you as well. |
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2.
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Use loose marks to sketch basic shapes to further define the body. Remember to give careful consideration to shapes. For example, one common mistake in gesture drawing is to put in a circle for the head. But look carefully—a head is not circular. It’s oval. Do not obsess over fine details like fingers or facial features. This is a gesture drawing, so you just want to sketch the basic shape and movement of the figure. Artists create gesture drawings to practice observing and drawing the figure in proportion. |
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3.
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Connect the shapes by forming a darker outline to further develop the figure. You can apply more pressure with your pencil, or if you have a variety of drawing pencils, choose one with softer lead. |
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4.
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Add details like hair, facial features, and clothes to complete your sketch. Again, with a gesture drawing, you are not trying to create an exact replication, but instead provide the essential information. Give the viewer a general idea of what the figure’s hair, clothing, and key facial features look like. |
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1.
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Begin by drawing a simple square. |
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2.
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Add a parallel line above the square to represent the back of the cube. Use a ruler or flat edge to create a straight line. This line will extend to the right of the square. |
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3.
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Use your ruler to draw a vertical parallel line to the right of the square to represent the side of the cube. This line can extend above the top of the square. |
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4.
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Connect these parallel lines to the square using three diagonal lines. The diagonal lines should be parallel to one another. |
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5.
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Use a darker shade for the areas of the cube that are farther from the light source. Imagine the side of your cube is getting the least amount of light. Shade it in dark gray. The top of the box is receiving the most amount of light, so leave it white. The front of the cube is receiving some light, but not as much as the top. Shade the front of the cube medium gray. We will talk more about shading and value later in this book, so don’t worry if it isn’t perfect. |
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1.
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Draw two parallel lines to create the sides of a cylinder. |
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2.
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Draw an oval that fits at the top, connecting both vertical lines. |
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3.
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Draw a curved line that mimics the bottom curve of the oval at the bottom of the cylinder. |
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4.
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Shade the cylinder according to where the light is coming from. |
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1.
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Draw a circle. Remember to draw using light, loose lines. |
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2.
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Draw an oval underneath the circle to represent which direction a shadow would be cast. |
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3.
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Shade the sphere from light to dark as areas get farther away from the light source. |
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1.
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Draw two diagonal lines to create a V-shape like the sides of a triangle. |
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2.
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Draw an oval to fit inside the lines to connect the points of the two lines that are farthest away from each other. |
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3.
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Shade your cone according to where the light source is coming from. |
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1.
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Draw a simple triangle using rough, loose lines. |
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2.
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Draw a diagonal line from the top of the triangle down and to the right, stopping above the bottom of the triangle. |
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3.
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Connect this line to the bottom of the triangle with another diagonal line. |
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4.
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Shade the side of your pyramid farthest from the light source. In the example below, I’ve shaded the right side of the pyramid because the light source is at the top left corner of the page. |
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1.
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Sketch out a cube like the one you did for exercise 1 of this chapter. If you still have a cube from that exercise, you can build upon it for this one. |
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2.
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Create walls. The example below adds lines to create rectangles, which form bricks. You can add a shape to serve as an entry point and fill in the top to add depth. |
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3.
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Create two cylinders on the side of your castle, using what you learned in exercise 2 . Draw slightly rounded horizontal lines when adding bricks on the towers. |
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4.
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Create a roof using the cone or pyramid. Refer to exercises 4 and 5 if you need a refresher. |
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5.
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Add decorative spheres. Refer to exercise 3 if you need a refresher. |
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6.
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Imagine where the light is shining on your castle and add value by shading each form. If you’re feeling adventurous, try adding a landscape to the sketch. |
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1.
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Draw the object that is closest to you large and low on the paper. Remember to think about the fundamentals we covered in the previous chapters. Focus on sketching the shapes you see rather than trying to copy what’s in front of you. In this example, the sketch captures a cylindrical shape with an oval at the top and curved lines to show depth and dimension. Together, these components make a mug. |
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2.
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Draw the second object as shown in the sketch below. Notice that as the objects get farther away, you will draw them smaller and higher on the paper. |
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3.
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Draw the third object even smaller and higher on the paper. |
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4.
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Try adding more detail to your drawing. |
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1.
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Draw a jagged line to represent a mountain range. The mountains will serve as the background, so it’s best to set the line toward the top of the page. |
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2.
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Draw a wavy line to represent hills underneath the jagged lines. This will be the middle ground, so it’s best to set it in the center of the page. |
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3.
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Draw a straight line to represent the grass close to the bottom of the page. It does not have to be perfectly straight. This will be the foreground. |
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4.
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Draw a large tree in the foreground and a small tree in the middle ground. Remember not to think of these as trees, but as shapes and lines that come together to form trees. |
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5.
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Feel free to have fun with your sketch. Add more trees, if you’d like. Add some grass or anything else that brings the image to life for you. |
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1.
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Begin by sketching out the rough shape of a head and neck. As always, think about shape. You may be tempted to draw a circle sitting on top of a rectangle, but remember that a head is actually oval, and a neck isn’t exactly rectangular. |
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2.
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Draw a few guidelines that will help you put facial features in the correct position. Start with a line down the middle of the head shape. This will help you make sure that features are symmetrical. Draw a line halfway across the middle of the head. This will be where you draw the eyes. Halfway in between the eye line and the chin, draw another line across the head shape. This will be where the nose rests. Halfway between the nose line and the chin, draw a final guideline across the head shape. This will be where the lips meet. |
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3.
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Draw the eyes along the middle guideline and sketch out eyebrows above them. Remember to think about the shape and lines. Add rounded shoulders coming out from the neck and trailing off the page. |
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4.
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Draw the nose resting on the next guideline. The bridge of the nose begins at the eyebrows and comes down with two curved lines facing inward. The tip of the nose is a circular shape. Draw the sides of the nose by creating two curved lines facing outward and ending at the bottom. Draw in oval nostrils to complete the nose. Look in the mirror to identify shapes and curves you see on your nose. Remember, if you make a mistake, it’s okay to erase and try again. |
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5.
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Draw the lips meeting on the third guideline. Draw the top lip like two hills with a valley in the middle. Draw the bottom lip as a downward curve and slightly bigger than the top lip. |
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1.
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Lightly draw a stack of seven identical ovals for reference. Draw a guideline halfway through the stack of ovals. This guideline will be the waist. |
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2.
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Draw the arms relaxed with the hands just below the waist. Think of your traditional stick figure, but imagine where the joints would be. Look at your own arm and see how it doesn’t rest as one straight line, but instead is jointed at the elbow. Use two straight lines to represent each arm and oval shapes to draw in the hands. You should not be focused on drawing realistically just yet. First you need to master the proportions and lay a foundation. |
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3.
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Draw the legs and feet similar to how you drew the arms and hands in step 2. Think about how the legs will be posed and where they will connect to the pelvis. The pelvis can be sketched as a rectangular shape below the torso. As you are drawing the legs, think about where the knee might be bent. Use oval shapes to represent the feet. |
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4.
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Using basic ovals and squares, give form to the figure. The torso can be composed of rectangles and squares. The arms gain form when you draw in some ovals, similar to the shape of paper clips. Elevate the stick figure to a figure with more shape. |
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1.
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Draw a single shape in the center of the paper. For this example, I am using a triangle. |
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2.
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Draw two identical shapes on either side of the center. These shapes should be different from your first shape. For this example, I am using two circles. |
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3.
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Continue adding identical shapes to fill your composition. Each time you add a shape on one side of the center, you need to duplicate it on the other. |
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4.
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Use the same process of repetition by adding different lines to your composition. Try straight, wavy, or zigzag lines to make your design more interesting. |
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1.
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Draw the large object to fill the space almost reaching the top and bottom edges of the paper. Remember that you’re trying to capture the shapes that make up the container, not the container itself. Also remember to focus on the lines, not details like the label. |
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2.
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Draw the two smaller objects in proportion to your large object. Fill the empty space so that your subject matter reaches near each edge of the paper. As you sketch in the basic shapes, you can begin to add details like labels, patterns, etc., to your objects. |
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3.
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Draw an environment around your objects to complete your composition. In my drawing, I added a horizontal line to indicate a countertop and a window. On yours, this can be anything you like! |
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1.
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Use a ruler to create a straight line across the paper. This is the horizon line. Draw a very small dot on the middle of the horizon line. This is the vanishing point . |
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2.
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Use a ruler to draw a diagonal line from the bottom left side of the paper to the vanishing point. Draw another diagonal line to the vanishing point from the bottom right side of the paper. These lines will represent the edges of a road. Notice how the road is wide at the bottom of the paper and becomes increasingly smaller until it disappears at the vanishing point. |
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3.
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Add details like lines going down the center of the road. These can include sidewalks on both sides and clouds in the sky, if you wish. |
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1.
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Begin by drawing a horizon line across the paper. With this exercise, you will have two vanishing points. Draw one vanishing point toward each end of the horizon line. |
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2.
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Draw a vertical line on the horizon line near the center of the page. Draw two shorter vertical lines on either side of the first vertical line. |
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3.
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Angle your ruler to connect the vertical lines with diagonal lines to the vanishing point on either side. This forms two sides of a cube on the horizon lines. |
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4.
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Erase any extra guidelines. In this case, these are the lines connecting the points on the shorter vertical lines and the endpoints on the horizontal line. On the same paper, draw three vertical lines above the horizon, near the upper left corner of the page. The center line should be higher than the other two. The line to the left should be closer to the center line than the line on the right. |
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5.
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Angle your ruler to connect the vertical lines with diagonal lines to the vanishing point on either side. This forms two sides of a cube above the horizon line. Now we need to draw where we can see the bottom of the cube. |
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6.
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Angle your ruler to the opposite vanishing point to draw diagonal lines to form the bottom of the cube. This creates a cube from a perspective that is above the horizon. |
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7.
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On the same paper, draw three vertical lines below the horizon. The center line should be lower than the other two. The line to the right should be the shortest, sitting higher on the page than the other two. It should also be slightly farther from the center line than the line on the left. |
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8.
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Angle your ruler to connect the vertical lines with diagonal lines to the vanishing point on either side. This forms two sides of a cube below the horizon line. Now we will draw where we can see the top of the cube. |
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9.
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Angle your ruler to the opposite vanishing point to draw diagonal lines to form the top of the cube. This creates a cube from a perspective that is below the horizon line. Erase any guidelines and complete your drawing. |
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1.
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Begin by drawing a rectangle in the center of the paper. This will represent the back wall in your drawing. Draw a small vanishing point in the middle of the square. |
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2.
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Angle your ruler to connect the vanishing point to each corner of the square. Extend a line from each corner to the edges of the paper. This will form the ceiling, two walls, and floor in the drawing. |
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3.
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Everything you decide to add to your room needs to angle back to the vanishing point in order to look realistic in the space. Start by adding a window. Draw two vertical lines on the right side of the walls. The line closest to the edge of the page should be slightly longer. |
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4.
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Angle your ruler to connect the lines at the top and bottom to create a window that recedes into space, toward the vanishing point. Darken the lines that form the window and erase the lines that do not. |
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1.
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Draw a horizon line across the paper with one vanishing point on either side. |
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2.
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Draw a vertical line starting close to the center of the horizon line that extends close to the bottom edge of the page. This will be the edge of the building closest to you. |
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3.
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Draw diagonal lines that connect the endpoints of the vertical line to both vanishing points. |
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4.
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Draw two more vertical lines to show the back edges of the building. |
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5.
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Connect the top corners to opposite vanishing points. This forms the top of the building. Erase the extra guidelines. |
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6.
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Add more buildings of varying heights using the same steps. |
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1.
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Use your pencil to shade box 5 so that it is as dark as you can get it. |
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2.
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As you move from right to left, the boxes will become lighter. Shade box 4 so that it is less dark than box 5. Try not to think too much about all the boxes as you shade; just focus on the box you are currently working on, and try to make it only slightly lighter than the one to its right. |
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3.
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Shade the rest of the boxes to complete the value scale. Box 3 will be medium gray. Box 2 will be light gray. Box 1 will be white, and you will not shade it at all. While this may seem like an easy exercise, creating distinct values is a skill that takes practice. Apply more or less pressure with your pencil, and experiment with different pencils. |
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1.
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Begin by drawing a two-dimensional circle. |
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2.
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Imagine that a light source is at the upper left corner of the page. Add a dark gray value on the side of the sphere receiving the least amount of light. If you are using a ball and a lamp, this can be a great way to observe where changes in value happen on your subject. Direct your lamp toward the ball and see where the light hits. |
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3.
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As you get closer to the light source, create lighter values. Apply less pressure with your pencil, or switch to a pencil with a harder lead. Remember that when you are shading, you need to make marks that correspond to the curve of the ball. |
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4.
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Add a shadow, if you wish. |
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1.
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Draw a row of five boxes as we did in exercise 1 of this chapter. Label it “Hatching.” |
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2.
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Create a value scale using hatch marks. The closer together your marks are, the darker the value they create. You do not need to press harder with your pencil or try to make your lines darker. Your eyes will automatically fill in the space between the marks. Hatch marks that are farther apart will read as a lighter value. Try slowing down your pencil and deliberately separating your marks more as you make lighter values. |
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3.
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Draw a second row of boxes and label it “Crosshatching.” |
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4.
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Create a value scale using crosshatching. Crosshatching is very similar to the process you used with hatching, only this time your marks will cross over one another like a checkerboard. Again, the closer the crosshatch marks are to one another, the darker the value. Try creating a scale with hatch marks first, and then go back a second time to cross your previous marks from a different direction. Think of this as a woven basket. With a tighter weave, less light will shine through the basket. With a looser weave, more light will get in. |
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1.
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Use your pencil, or a ballpoint pen, to draw a three-dimensional cylinder. |
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2.
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Add each of the five distinct values from your value scale by applying the hatching or crosshatching techniques. If you are looking at a can or another cylindrical object, try to identify where the light and dark areas fall on cylinder. |
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1.
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Draw a football shape as the opening of the eye. |
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2.
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Draw two curved lines to show the sides of the iris. |
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3.
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Draw a small circle inside the iris to represent the pupil. |
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4.
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Draw a curved line above to represent the crease above the top eyelid. This line should be slightly shorter than the curved line below. |
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5.
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Draw a shorter line beneath to represent the bottom eyelid. It should stop near the edge of the iris above. |
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6.
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Shade the pupil in dark black, and then use your eraser to erase a small highlight or two inside the pupil. If you look at someone’s eyes, or at your own in the mirror, you can see specs of light inside the pupil. |
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7.
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Shade the iris in medium gray. Shade from the center radiating out to the edges. |
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1.
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Use the skills you learned from drawing a cylinder to help you create the form of a vase. The opening of the vase will be an oval, just as it was for the cylinder. The form of your vase is probably more curved than a straight cylinder. Try to keep both sides of the vase symmetrical to help make it look realistic. |
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2.
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Use your pencil, or a ballpoint pen if you’re up for a new challenge, to add value to the vase with hatching and crosshatching. You can use a lamp to direct light onto your subject if it helps you identify highlights and shadows. |
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3.
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Draw flowers inside the vase and apply a range of value to the drawing. Use your value scale to help make sure you have a variety of light and dark. |
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4.
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Complete the drawing by adding an environment with a surface underneath the vase and a background behind it. |
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1.
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Press the shoe into a piece of paper, then lightly shade over the area to reveal the shoe’s texture. Look at the shapes, patterns, and details on the paper. This represents the object’s actual texture . |
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2.
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Use this imprint to try to re-create that same texture by drawing it. This is called creating an implied texture. You are helping the viewer imagine what the surface might feel like. Draw some of the repeated patterns you see from the imprint. Remember to focus on basic shapes first, before obsessing over any details. The intention of this exercise is to begin seeing and drawing textures. |
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1.
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Draw the contours of the object from observation. If you need a refresher on contour lines, that’s okay! Refer to chapter 2, exercises 1 to 3 . |
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2.
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To create an implied soft texture, you’re going to use more curved lines, rounded shapes, and light values. By combining these elements, you’re communicating to the viewer what the surface might feel like. |
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1.
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Observe a section of your home or building up close and try to re-create that texture on the paper. Sketch out the shape of the brick, stone, or other building material. This may consist of square, rectangular, or irregular shapes. |
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2.
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Feel the surface with your hand. Look closely at the material to see how edges or grooves affect how the surface feels. To create a rough texture, you’re going to use more straight or jagged lines, and dots to represent any bumps. |
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1.
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Begin by drawing the contour lines. |
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2.
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Before you add the pattern, observe that the pattern isn’t perfectly flat, but changes with the folds. You can see the folds by the curved and wavy lines they create. You’ll also notice this by the changes in value, or light. Shadows are going to appear where there is less light hitting the fabric. Indicate these by shading areas on the drawing. With this in mind, add any patterns with lines and shapes that you observe on the fabric. |
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3.
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Look for additional details like stitching, buttons, zippers, etc. Each of these details can be broken down into basic shapes or lines. Buttons are most likely circular in shape. Stitching and zippers can be re-created by a series of lines. |
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1.
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Take a close look at the tree trunk. Draw any knots or holes in the tree. Look for shapes. Knots are going to have circles or ovals that you can sketch in. Add curved lines around the shapes to indicate where the tree bark is surrounding the knot. Focus on a few main details that stand out to you at first glance, and then come back later to add any others. |
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2.
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Use jagged and wavy lines to re-create the texture of tree bark. |
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3.
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Begin drawing some of the leaves of the tree. For this exercise, you’re creating the suggestion of a few leaves. Don’t get caught up with trying to draw every single leaf. Create an outline shape where the leaves are located and then highlight a few throughout the drawing. |
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4.
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Look for other details on and around the tree: roots, grass, birdhouses, mulch, dirt, etc. Draw them in to your liking. |
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1.
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If you no longer have your drawing from chapter 4, exercise 3 , return to that exercise to create a new portrait. |
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2.
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Take a look in the mirror to create a self-portrait as unique as you are. Use a mirror in a well-lit area where you can comfortably sit and draw. Although working from a photograph would be okay, it’s best to learn by drawing from life. Look straight ahead so that you can apply what you’ve learned about proportion and symmetry. Start by adding the contours of your hair. Focus on the lines and the shape of your hair rather than the texture. |
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3.
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Shade the hair in using your pencil in the direction your hair grows or is parted. Focus on capturing texture and dimension using shading. Look for changes in value as you work. |
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4.
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Add distinguishing characteristics: birthmarks, piercings, scars, etc. To add facial hair, repeat a series of hatch marks to indicate which way the hair is growing. |